Funding worth £250,000 has been secured for the next phase of work to restore a stretch of the Lichfield Canal.
The Biffa Award money will cover the second phase of restoration of the canal channel from Darnford Lane to the lift-bridge.
Lichfield and Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust (LHCRT) had previously secured other grants to carry out phase one of the scheme, but the new funding will allow further work to take place to return the canal route to water as well as improve habitats such as hedgerow corridors.
Carole Mills, chair of LHCRT, said:
“This is excellent news for the trust and our volunteers.
“The grant from Biffa Award will have a huge impact towards getting another 250 metres of canal into water, creating a vital space for wildlife and community enjoyment of the natural environment.
“As a volunteer-led charity with minimal regular income, funding like this is vital for us to achieve our aim of restoring the canal and create a green and blue corridor for the benefit of the community and then, ultimately, make the Lichfield Canal available for navigation.”
Carole Mills, Lichfield and Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust
It is hoped the latest funding will help put the stretch of the canal in water by the end of the year.
Rachel Maidment, Biffa Award grants manager, said:
“We are extremely privileged to be able to support the Lichfield and Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust’s project to restore the canal channel from Darnford Lane to the lift-bridge.
“We can’t wait to see the impact bringing the canal back to the city has, improving its environmental, economic and social impact, benefitting wildlife and the local community.”
Rachel Maidment
